Torsion bar assembly for mechanical swing



Jan. 19, 1965 J. 0| PASQUA TORSION BAR ASSEMBLY FOR MECHANICAL SWING Filed June 25, 1963 INVENTOR. JOS'P/V 01243 04 C Ice Fatented Jan. 19, 1965 3,166,287 TGRSEQN BAR ASSEMBLY Ffili MECHANECAL SWING Eoseph Pasqua, Detroit, Mich, assignor to Mechanical Swinging Cradle Company, ind, Detroit, Mich.

Filed June 25, 1963, Sen'No. 290,515

Claims. (Cl. 248-370) This invention relates to a torsion bar assembly for mechanical swings, and more particularly to a swing susension for mechanical swings of thetype powered by spring motors such as are disclosed in my prior United States Patent 2,860,727 issued November 18, 1958, United States Patent 3,073,416 dated January 15, 1963, and in application Serial No. 180,070, filed March 12, 1962, now Patent No. 3,112,814.

This invention is concerned with providing a novel form of swing suspension which supports a swing seat, and transmits the reciprocal motion of the drive motor to said seat for moving it forwardly and rearwardly and at the same time restricting sidewise movements of the seat stabilizing the same.

It is another object of the present invenuonto provide a torsion bar for a swing operated by a spring mo tor or the like for reciprocal rotary movements association with the novel form of support rod assembly for suspending and movably mounting a swing with respect to said torsion bar.

These and other objects will be seen from the following specification and claims in conjunction with the appended drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is afront perspective view ofthe; complete swing assembly, but with the legs fragmentarily shown.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view, partially sectioned, of the upper end of the swing and swing suspension.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view taken in the direction of the arrows 33 of FIG. 2.

It will be understood that the above drawing illustrates merely a preferred embodiment of the invention, and that other embodiments are contemplated within the scope of the claims hereafter set forth.

Referring to the drawing, the swing includes a seat S which may be formed in a chair-like configurauon having a wire frame 26 and a cloth seat body. It is suspended from and swings beneath the housing 12 having end support walls 11 whose lower edges are bent nwardly and horizontally to form horizontal flanges with elongated slots through which upper end portions of tubular legs 13 are projected. The upper ends of said legs are flattened and are pivotally secured by suitable fasteners 13' to end support walls 11, said legs being in contact with walls 11, FIG. 2.

Each pair of legs is interconnected by the foldable brace 14 so that the legs may be folded towards each other when the swing is to be stored.

Mounted and secured within housing 12 is a spring motor generally indicated at 16 of the type disclosed in the above-mentioned prior patents and patent application. This motor has a downwardly depending lever 17 which is operated by the motor for reciprocal forward and rearward movements. Said lever includes upright slot 13 adapted to cooperatively receive the central upwardly extending inverted U-shape portion 19 which forms a part of the base of horizontal torsion bar 20 fragmentar'ily shown in FIG. 2 in its assembled relation with said hous- The rotatable crank is journaled through and extends from housing 12 and is suitably connected to the spring motor 16, FIG. 2, for winding the spring power mechanism therein, all as disclosed in the prior above set forth patents and patent application. 1

The present horizontally disposed torsion bar is made'oi a stiff rod-like material with its opposite horizontally disposed free ends 21 journaled and projected through bosses 22 in end walls 11 and retained by cleats or fasteners 23. i

The central portion of the torsion bar is bent into an vupwardly opening deep U-shape whose legs are generally vertically arranged and whose base is horizontally arranged.

The generally upright legs of torsion :bar 20 are irregularly formed to define a pair of continuous opposite extending reverse curved loops 29 and 33. Each as said loops defines with said legs a ,pair of abutments 31 and 34 adapted for cooperative registry with upright support rods 24. The chains 28 suspend and movably mount the seat between the pairs of legs 13.

A pair of elgonatcd substantially upright support rods '24 are each arranged adjacent one of the said legs as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Interlocking securing means are employed between the upper end of the respective support rod and the torsion bar at spaced points located on the respective legs for establishing an assembled relationship.

Each of the torsion bar legs includes the upwardly in clined abutment 31 terminating in loop 29 which merges .as at-32 with the reversed curved oppositely extending loop 33 which terminates in abutment 34. Abutment 34 terminates in the horizontal support portions 21 of said torsion bar.

The respective support rods 24 are mounted and retained at their upper ends with respect to the leg portions of torsion rod 20, and extend below the horizontal base portion of said torsion rod. The lower ends of rods 24 are located a considerable distance beneath said torsion bar, and are formed with hooks 25' engaging the wire frame 26 of the canvas or other flexible cloth seat S adjacent its opposite sides.

The seat is further stabilized and supported by the pair of downwardly and forwardly inclined flexible chains 28 whose upper ends are connected as at 39 between the loop 29 and adjacent support rod 24. The lower end of each chain is connected at 30 to forward arm rest portions of the wire frame which forms a part of the seat.

As shown in FIG. 2, additional stop means or projections 35 are formed upon upper portions of leg loops 33 normally spaced from abutment 34. The upper reversed curved portion 38 of loop 27 is interposed (and retained) between abutment 34 and stop 35.

The upper end of support rod 24, FIG. 3, terminates in the curved portion 37 which includes the upwardly extending reverse looped portion 36 which merges with loop 27. This loop 27 is arranged in a plane substantially transverse to a plane passing through looped portions 25 and 33 of the legs which form a part of torsion rod 20.

Thus, the interlocking means between rods 24 and torsion bar 20 include the projection of loop 27 so as to receive the respective reversed curve loops 29 and 33, which loops respectively engage the abutments 31 and 34. The upper portion 38 of loop 27 is retained between abutment 34 and the stop 35. The lower looped portion 36 bears against abutment 31 and is retained in this position by the upper link of the chain as at 39 which is interposed between loop 27 and leg loop 29.

This interlocking means thus provides an assembly by 'which rods 24 are maintained in a substantially upright position relative to torsion rod 20 and wherein an efficient interlock is provided between upper portions of the support rods and the leg portions 29-33 of torsion bar 20.

In the operation of the present swing the motor element 17 causes a rotary swinging movement of torsion bar 20 journaled at 22, which movements are transmitted by the support rods 24 and chains 28 to the seat S suspended 3 therefrom. The interlock between the upperends of rods 24 and the leg portions of the torsion bar prevent side sway of the swing between the pairs of foldable legs 13, FIG. 1. i

Having describedrmy invention reference should now be hadto the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a swing suspension, a horizontally arranged support housing having a pair of spaced apart end wall supports;

a horizontally arranged torsion bar made of stiff, rodlike material and having its opposite ends each rotatably connected to one of said end wall supports,

the central portion of said torsion bar being bent into an upwardly opening, deep U-shape whose legs are substantially vertically arranged and whose base is horizontally arranged; a motor supported in said housing; the motor having a driven reciprocating lever extending downwardly therefrom and being connected to the center of said base for reciprocating said torsion bar about its rotatably connected ends;

a pair of elongated, upright swing support rods, each arranged adjacentone of said legs; a I

interlocking means between the upper. end of a support rod and the torsion bar at spaced points locatedon the respective leg, said support rods each extending downwardly below said base and having its lower end located at a considerable distance beneath the torsion bar with the lower end being formed with means for connection to a swing.

2. In the swing suspension of claim 1, said interlocking means including a pair of reverse curved loops in each leg defining with said leg a pair of abutments, and a looped portion on the upper end of each support rod transverse against saidleg abutrnents and retained there-against.

3. In the swing suspension of claim 1, said interlocking means including a pair of reverse curved loops in each leg defining with said leg a pair of abutments, a looped portion at the upper end of each support rod transverse to and cooperatively receiving said leg loops and bearing against said leg abutments; and means for retaining said looped portion against one of said abutnients.

4. In the swing suspension of claim 1, said interl ocking means including :a pair of reverse curved loops in each leg defining with said leg a pair of abutments, a looped portion at the upper end of each support rod transverse to and cooperatively receiving said leg loops and bearing against said leg abutments, and means for retaining'said looped portion against one of said abutments, said latter means comprising a pair of chains each having its upper end connected to one of said leg loops and each having its lower end extending downwardly and arranged for connection to said swing.

5. In the swing suspension of claim 1, said interlocking means including a pair of reverse curved loops in each leg defining with said leg a pair of abutments, a looped portion at the upper end of each support rod transverse to and cooperatively receiving said leg loops and bearing against said leg abutments, means for retaining said looped portion against one of said abutments, and stop means spaced from the other of said abutments retainingly engaging the looped portion of said support rod.

References Cited in the file of thispatent Saint Jan. 1, 1963 

1. IN A SWING SUSPENSION, A HORIZONTALLY ARRANGED SUPPORT HOUSING HAVING A PAIR OF SPACED APART END WALL SUPPORTS; A HORIZONTALLY ARRANGED TORSION BAR MADE OF STIFF, RODLIKE MATERIAL AND HAVING ITS OPPOSITE ENDS EACH ROTATABLY CONNECTED TO ONE OF SAID END WALL SUPPORTS, THE CENTRAL PORTION OF SAID TORSION BAR BEING BENT INTO AN UPWARDLY OPENING, DEEP U-SHAPE WHOSE LEGS ARE SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALLY ARRANGED AND WHOSE BASE IS HORIZONTALLY ARRANGED; A MOTOR SUPPORTED IN SAID HOUSING; THE MOTOR HAVING A DRIVEN RECIPROCATING LEVER EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY THEREFROM AND BEING CONNECTED TO THE CENTER OF SAID BASE FOR RECIPROCATING SAID TORSION BAR ABOUT ITS ROTATABLY CONNECTED ENDS; A PAIR OF ELONGATED, UPRIGHT SWING SUPPORT RODS, EACH ARRANGED ADJACENT ONE OF SAID LEGS; INTERLOCKING MEANS BETWEEN THE UPPER END OF A SUPPORT ROD AND THE TORSION BAR AT SPACED POINTS LOCATED ON THE RESPECTIVE LEG, SAID SUPPORT RODS EACH EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY BELOW SAID BASE AND HAVING ITS LOWER END LOCATED AT A CONSIDERABLE DISTANCE BENEATH THE TORSION BAR WITH THE LOWER END BEING FORMED WITH MEANS FOR CONNECTION TO A SWING. 